“I wanted something inviting, warm and relatable,” says actor Constance Wu. She recently moved from a large property in hot, busy Los Angeles to a newly renovated apartment in Brooklyn Heights, where she still owns a home. , new york. After nearly a decade of living on the West Coast, which lends itself to a career in film and television, the actor feels ready to return to New York, where he aims to make his theater a priority. The shift is meant to bring more stability to her and boyfriend Ryan Kuttner's two young children. “It's better this way,” she explains. “I don't have to go and uproot myself for three months in Prague to shoot a movie. I can work here and still send my kids to the same school. It's just a better option for families. (Wu recently starred as Audrey in the off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors.)
When building the house, Wu had one goal in mind. It's about making it easy. “I wanted a spacious space that felt warm and open by New York standards,” she says. The priority was to find a cozy, family-friendly neighborhood near a park. Ms. Wu said, thinking back to when she lived in the city 20 years ago, when she moved from borough to borough, from rental property to rental property, and how she feels now. We will talk about how we are trying to put down roots. “I like to joke that when I used to live in New York City, I knew every bar in the area, but now that I live here, I don't know a single one.” , I know all the bars. A playground,” she says.
But in addition to its prime location, this rare rental property (recently renovated by ReBuild Workshop) was missing one piece of furniture. The family still owns a home in Los Angeles, so they kept most of their belongings there. “I feel like I don't have the eyes to see.” [design]” admits Wu. “So I wanted to hire a team that I really thought would do that.” She says the furniture retailer's signature style is a nod to the relaxed, livable interiors that Wu herself prefers, even if there's something she lacks. I connected with West Elm after realizing I resonated with my type. She creates her own chops.
Her parameters for the West Elm creative team were based more on emotion than visuals. “One of the designers said to me, 'If your apartment was the clothes you wear, would you want it to feel like jeans and a T-shirt?' You want it to feel like an evening dress. Is it? ” I answered. “Nancy Meyers' coastal grandma. That's not my personal outfit.”
To nail the sensibility, West Elm chose warm, natural tones as the thread that connects every room, from cottony linen textures to wood accents to ultramarine velvet. Wu's team then balanced the coziness with sophisticated touches, including abstract artwork and bold black pieces. “It has character,” Wu says of her space. “I wanted it to feel easy, not like I was trying too hard to prove something.”
Families look forward to welcoming friends into their cozy space. “We like to entertain and always knew we would use the dining area a lot. Many New Yorkers don't always have that luxury because of limited space.” he says. Mr. Wu. “But when you have kids, it's really nice to have an open dining area near the living area. So we invite couples with kids and while we're there, the kids… We're allowing kids to play with it. That's how I envisioned using it. And that's how we've been using it.”
Indeed, nothing is too precious. Wu added: “Listen, kids are going to make a mess. And I think the more important thing is to stay safe. Yes, my daughter has markers, but they're super washable markers. I have accepted that it's part of growing up, part of being a kid, and part of experimenting, but boundaries definitely exist. Perhaps an alternative to coloring on the couch? I think you should color the paper.